Heat Cord/Tile Set Up Questions

Hi, I'm looking to use the heat cord system of heating a melamine enclosure for a spotted python as I've heard and read many things about t. In regards to the heat cord set up, I've seen images of it being used for click clacs, but heard only talk of people using it for enclosures for adult snakes. In a melamine enclosure, would the heat cord be inside the enclosure (i.e. if sandwiched or covered by a tile) or underneath the enclosure?

Sandwiched between 2 tiles is one option. Another would be to have grooves routed into the floor so the cable sits inside the groove. Then cover that with a tile or similar. Same sort of thing as many people do in hatchie racks.

Underneath a melamine enclosure probably wouldn't generate much heat and would work to hard.

As you and Paul have mentioned one method people use is to sandwich it between two tiles. I utilise the second method though that Paul mentioned with groves routed into the floor and the cable placed in the groove with a tile on top to heat all of my adult snakes. It works extremely well and is easy to use.

I like the routed grooves in the floor idea with the tile over the top, would be way neater and aesthetically pleasing but for now whilst my snakes are still smallish and in temporary enclosures I use the heat cord sandwiched between 2 tiles method. It allows me to freely move it wherever/whenever when cleaning or rearranging etc.

Wood is a poor conductor of heat. So attempting to use heat cord to outside a melamine enclosure is ineffective and wasteful. The neat cord needs to be inside the enclosure.

An alternative to do it is to use a base of thin MDF, about twice the thickness of the heat, and same shape as the tile. Cut grooves to the thickness of the cord parallel across the base then a few at each at right angles to the others. Ensure grooves are wide enough to allow the cord to move freely around corners. A simple hand saw can be used to do this. The end 3 cm of the cord is thicker than the rest. This can either be left protruding from the tile or simply expand the section groove where it is to fit. Then use a sealer to make the base waterproof. Using dobs of Blu Tack the tile can then be firmly, but not permanently, fixed to the based. The only permanent cut in the enclosure is a small hole in the back corner, or side, just big enough to thread the heat cord through.

Ceramic of late tiles are much better conductors than wood, but nowhere near as good as metals. The plus side is that by the time the heat is conducted through the tile, it has evenly spread out. Tiles also have a fairly high’ specific heat’, which is the amount of heat required to raise their temperature by 1oC. So while they are slower to heat up, they are also slower to cool down and will therefore maintain stable temperatures. The MDF base acts as insulation and enables the majority of the heat produced to be transferred into the tile.

This provides a moveable heat tile when cleaning. It is can also be shifted for use in a different enclosure. It is easily re-adjustable for temperature by changing how much of the active heating section of the cord you allows to hang outside of the enclosure.

PS I did write a similar post and thought i had posted it, but apparently not. So I have re-written it (ans saved a copy this time lol)

I like the routed grooves in the floor idea with the tile over the top, would be way neater and aesthetically pleasing but for now whilst my snakes are still smallish and in temporary enclosures I use the heat cord sandwiched between 2 tiles method. It allows me to freely move it wherever/whenever when cleaning or rearranging etc.